Germany Travel Guide

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Dresden

Dustin Hofer

From the high Alps in the South, the Bavarian plain, and the flowing hills of central Germany to the coast of the North and Baltic Sea: it all looks like a miniature train landscape packed with the nicest of old towns, medieval houses, gothic churches.

Thanks to the different regional princedoms, earldoms, monarchies and states Germany did not unite until the last centuries. Thus Germany has not one but many major cities. And each city has its own unique character, formed by its history and the surrounding region. Each is a whole new world unto itself in which you will experience not only different architectural styles and art treasures but also a very distinctive lifestyle. Local traditions and mentalities are clearly reflected everywhere - in the arts, the nightlife, the shops, the pubs and restaurants and the way people work and live.

To start in the north, spend some days in Hamburg, Bremen or Lübeck, those old "Hanse" cities, whose prosperity arose from the independent shipping trade. Berlin, the capital, is of course one of the top travel destinations in Germany - no matter if you are going there for business, cultural or political reasons, or just to enjoy yourself: Berlin has everything!

Right in the centre Hannover is worth a visit. In the eastern part of Germany, you can find real jewels: Leipzig, Weimar, Schwerin and even Dresden , although it was bombed horribly, saved lots of their prewar architectural heritage, and the latter has just restored the famous Frauenkirche. Continue going southwards, maybe with passing Nuremberg, you will sooner or later arrive in Munich, the capital city of beer, but also of art, with the famous Pinakothek. It is a good starting point to find the treasures of Bavaria.

Germany's cities have endless pleasant surprises in store for those who enjoy good food and drink. In addition to top-quality international cooking each region has its own local specialities, ranging from hearty country fare at simple inns to modern light cuisine at star-rated restaurants. Accompanied by our world-famous beers and wines, all this plenty is guaranteed to make your tour of Germany's cities an unforgettable culinary experience.

Discover the beautiful Southwest of Germany with cities like Freiburg, Heidelberg and Tübingen. In the western part cities still have some french influence, discover Bonn, Düsseldorf, Cologne- the heart of the Rhineland, Trier, the oldest city of Germany and a former capital of the Roman Empire or Aachen with its impressive cathedral and history back to Charlemagne.

Today, Germany is also an industrial powerhouse. In the Ruhrgebiet ( Essen, Oberhausen, Duisburg and surroundings) there is heavy industry, different car brands like Porsche, Mercedes (near Stuttgart ), BMW and VW make Germany one of the world's biggest car producers and Frankfurt is the country's bank and finance centre, called also "Mainhattan" ("Main" is a river in Frankfurt). All this makes the standard of living one of the highest in the world.

To make the different cities and sights more accessible to you, we have divided Germany into regions. Click on the regions to find more info about them and the cities that are in them.

After years of separation between West Germany and the DDR, the country is now growing together back again, a longer and perhaps more painful process than many expected. At the same time has Germany become a more normal country. If you look at the history of Germany this century, being normal is not a bad thing.